Expansible plug closure



July 22, '1952 H. H. ARMSTRONG 2,604,225

EXPANSIBLE PLUG CLOSURE Filed Aug. 7, 1947 Patented July 22, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENToFFlcE EXPANSIBLE PLUG CLOSURE Howard H. Armstrong, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, as-

signor to The B. F. Goodrich Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August 7, 1947, Serial No. 166,999 13V claims. (o1,` 22o-24.5)

The invention relates to removable sealing closures for passages of containers and especially -to closures for the mouths of fuel and gasoline tanks, bottles, jars and other containers for liquids, gases and other ilowable materials.

Objects of the invention are to provide kan improved removable closure effecting sealing between a compressible body thereof and the mouth or passage of a container; to provide for resisting axial separation of the closure from the mouth or passage in the engaged condition by a pawllike resisting action of the compressible body, and

vat the Sametime to provide for facilitating quick removal of the closure; to provide effective lockingalong with quick removability; to provide for effecting sealing while avoiding suction between the compressible body and the mouth or passage; and to provide for simplicity of construction,

convenience of manufacture and use, and for effectiveness of operation.

These and other objects and advantageswill be apparent from the following description.

In. the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specication and in ,which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the saine,

. iFig. l isa perspective View from above of a sealing closure in the mouth of a gasoline tank and constructed in accordance with and embodying the invention, parts being broken away,

Fig. 2 is ajsectional View on an enlarged scale taken along line 2,--2 of Fig. l, parts being broken away,

. 1 Fig `.,3 is a front view on an enlarged scale of the closure inthe disengaged or released condition, dot and dash lines showing the position of parts in the engaged condition, and parts being broken away and in section, and

Fig. 4 is a perspective front View from above on an enlarged scale of the compressible annular in section.

In the illustrative embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, the closure construction isassociated removably with the iiller pipe vor mouth II of a gasoline tank I2 suitable for Vcharacteristics of resiliency, high resistance to oil, gasoline, ether, naphtha and other like solvents and materials, impermeability to liquids ,40 body of the closure, parts being broken away and and gases, highcoefcient of friction, and little or no tendency .to impart odors or otherwise taint the contained material. The solid annular body I3 has an axial bore I4 of uniform diameter therein extending from the lower end face I5 and desirably therethrough to the upper end face I6 providing radially spaced inner and outer surfaces I1, I8, respectively.

There is provided on the radially outer surface I8 at least two and desirably three circumferentially extending portions I9, 20, 2I spaced-apart axially providing circumferentially extending spaces or channels 22, 23 therebetween at axially spaced regions of the body I3. The circumferential portions vor ribs are of such size, shape and disposition as to be effective under compression of the body to hold against the inner face of the ymouth II to lock thebody as shown especially in Fig. 2. The locking ribs I9 and 2 I and the sealing rib 20 also, may be inclined as by a taper of one or both margins I9a, 20a, 2Ia of each rib toward the top or upper end face I6 of the annular or gasket body I3, to provide increased resistance to movement-,of the body outwardly of the container I2 by a pawl-like resisting action of the ribs. when they are pressed against the container surj face, the'drag on the ribs under any such tendency to movement causing them to tend to swing more Vnearly erect and increase the resistance in the .manner of a pawl or moving strut. The channels betwen the ribs are sufficiently wide to permit substantial flexure of the ribs.

The circumferentially continuous intervening rib 20 may be axially wider than the alternate, circumferentially discontinuous locking portions or ribs I9, 2I, for presenting an annular, conanda free face of the body or the space at an.

end of the closure for venting the channels at all times; Desirably, four circumferentially spaced-apart passages are in each upper and lower rib I9, 2| dividing the latter into four lock- 'ing portions and'facilitate venting and interconnecting the spaces or channels at the sides of is provided a core or sleeve member 26 of stili materia-l, desirably metal such, for example, as steel. aluminum, magnesium and zinc alloy, or plastic material of the desired strength. The sleeve member is disposed in the bore I4 in telescopic and backing relation to the body I3 attire inner surface II thereof. the tubular wall of the sleeve extending axially from the lower end face I5 and terminating desirably short of the upper end face I6 of the body. The' lower end of lthe body is'engaged and supported by a radially outward ange portion 21 of the sleeve. A center post 28 may be secured to the axial center Y of an axially depressed, closed, transverse web portion 29 joined circumferentially to the tubular wall of the sleeve at the upper end thereof, which post 28 extends beyond the annular body VI3 and has slidably mounted thereony a top pressure plate 30 of suitable stii material.

The pressure plate 33 may have an axially depressed, closed center portion 3| and a peripheral ange portion 32 of greater diameter than the lbody I3 for seating flush against the upper end fac'e IS and the upper surface at 33 of the mouth il, which mouth may be radially flanged and attached at the ange tothe tank as by rivets 34, 34. The pressure plate also engages 'and supports the compressible body i3, and-at the depressed portion 3| may extend somewhat below the upper end face I8. Space at 35 between the pressure plate and the web portion 29 of the sleeve accommodates bulging radially inward of the up- -per part of the body I3 for the compressed condition thereoia's shown especially in Fig'. 2.

A swinging lever 33 including a camportion 3'I of substantially U-shape in cross-section for embracing the upper end of the center post`28 is connected pivotally thereto by a headed cross pin 38 and Cotter pin 33. A washer 40 ofV suitable stiff material may be slidably mounted on the center post and interposed between the pressure plate 30 and the cam portion 31 of the lever -36 for strengthening and preventing wear of the pressure plate. The cam portion is adapted to engage the washer 'and hence position the pressure plate, when the lever 36 is swung to its lowered'position at 4I, as shown by dot and dash lines in Fig. 3, for drawing the sleeve inember26 toward -the pressure plate to compress axially the Aannular body I3.

Y For preventing accidental Vloss of' the closure from the tank such as during filling `the latter with gasoline, the closure may, if desired, have a Spanner element 42 of suitable stiff material'of sufficient length to span the mouth II and seat against the lower inside ledge of thesame, which Spanner element maybe attached to the sleeve member'ZG at the web portion 29 as by a suitable lengthof chain 43 andconnecting ringstructure 44. The arrangement permits removal of the closure from the mouth of the tank until the end of the chain 43 is reached, when the s'panner'element, positioned transversely, contacts the the mouth for convenient replacement therein. When the Spanner element is positioned axially of the mouth after disengagement of the closure, the closure may be wholly disso/ciated from the tank as for purposes of servicing and replacement.

The closure assembly is inserted in the mouth of the tank while the lever 36 is in its raised position at 45 and the annular body I3 isunder little or no compression axially for avoiding radial bulging of the body and thus facilitating convenience ,of insertion. The closure is inserted until the pressure plate 30 seats rmly against the upper surface 33 of the mouth II. As the lever 36 is swung down to its lowered position at 4I, the

sleeve member 26 and center post 28 are moved axially of the closure toward the pressure plate, which produces axial compression and radial expansion of the annular body I 3 so that the radial outer surface I8 of the latter tends to assume an outwardly bulged configuration substantially as shown by dot and dash lines at 46 in Fig. 3, when not otherwise restrained as by the wallof the mouth II.

Under the compression, the annular body presses resiliently and radially inward against and in sealing relation to the tubular wall ofthe core or sleeve member 26 including the ilange 21, and may bulge radially inward at its upper region -into the space at 35, as shown especially in Fig. 2.

The compression of the body and the aforesaid tendency of the outer surface I8 to bulge results in bringing the ribs I9, 20, 2I axially toward one another and in flexing the same, because of their inclined construction, toward 'the pressure plate as hereinabove described.

The open-face passages 24, 24 and 25, 25 having venting communication with the channels22, 23 and the spaces at the ends of the closure, eliminate suction at the channels despite the compression of the body I3 and the pressing of the ribs against the mouth I I.

Variations may be made Without departing from the invention as it is'deiined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A closure for the mouth of a container, said closure comprising a body of resilient lmaterial having a peripheral sealing portion for disposition against said mouth andl having a locking portion at a side of said sealing portionproviding a space therebetween, said space' having venting communication with a face of said body, and means for distorting said body to press said sealing portion and said locking portion against said mouth. y

2. A closure for the mouth of a container, said closure comprising a body of resilient material having a peripheral sealing portion for disposition against said mouth and having locking portions spaced-apart peripherally of said body at 9. side of said sealing portion and spaced from the latter, the spaced-apart relation of said locking portions providing venting passage through the region Aof said locking portions, and means for distorting said body to press said sealing portion .and said locking portions against said mouth.

3. A closure for the mouth of a container, said closure comprising an' annular body of resilient material having a circumferential sealing portion for 'disposition against 'a surface of said mouth and having a circumferential locking portion at veach side of said sealing portion in spaced vrelation thereto, the space between said sealing mouth, whereby the closure is retained adjacent portion and each of said locking portions having venting passage through said locking portions, and means for compressing said body axially to press said sealing portion and said locking portions in` the radial direction against said mouth.

Y 4.` A closure for the mouth of a container, said closure comprising a core for said mouth providing an annular space between said mouth and said core, an annular body of resilient material having in its lrelaxed condition less thickness than said space, and means lfor compressing said body axiallyandincreasing its thickness radially to ll the radial dimension of said space, and said body comprising a circumferential sealing portion and a locking portion at a side of said sealing portion with a pocket therebetween, said pocket being in venting communication with a face of said body.

5. A closure for the mouth of a container, said closure comprising a core for said mouth providing an annular space between said mouth and said core, an annular body of resilient material having in its relaxed condition less thickness than said space, and means for compressing said body axially and increasing its thickness radially to fill the radial dimension of said space, and said body comprising circumferential portions spaced-apart axially with a pocket therebetween, said pocket being in venting communication with a face of said body in the relaxed condition of said body. and one of said portions being circumferentially continuous and relatively wider than the other portion for sealing against said mouth under the compression of said body.

6. A closure for the mouth of a container, said closure comprising a body of resilient material having a circumferentially continuous sealing portion and a circumferentially discontinuous locking portion adjacent said sealing portion with a space between said portions, said space having venting communication with a face of said body, and means for compressing said body to press said portions against a container mouth.

'7. A closure for the mouth of a container, said closure comprising an annular body of resilient material having a circumferentially continuous sealing portion and a circumferentially discontinuous locking portion adjacent each side of said sealing portion with spaces between said sealing portion and said locking portion, each of said spaces being in venting communication with an end of said body, and means for compressing said body axially to press said portions in the radial direction against a container mouth.

distortion ofvsaid portionsagainst said mouth, said lockinggportion being axially inclinedi for resistingl movement inthe directionv toward `the open-end of said mouth by a pawl-like action, andmeans forcompressing said body axially to distort and press said portions in the radial direction against the container mouth.

l0. A closure for the mouth of a container.V said closure'comprising an annularbod'y. of resilient material having an axial bore therein and4 circumferentially extending ribs spaced apart axially on said body with a circumferential channel therebetween, one of said ribs being of relatively greater axial extent than the other rib and presenting a circumferentially continuous sealing face for sealing and said other rib being axially inclined for resisting movement in the direction toward the open-end of said mouth by a pawl-like action when said body is compressed axially and expanded radially against said mouth, said channel being in venting communication with an end face of said body, a backing element in said bore, and means for compressing said annular body axially between said mouth and said backing element to press said ribs in the radial direction against the container mouth.

11. A sealing member for a container mouth closure, said sealing member comprising a generally cylindrical body of resilient material having a circumferentially-extending external surface between the ends thereof positionable in the container mouth, said body having a pair of lribs on said external surface distortabie against the container, one of said ribs extending entirely and continuously around said body and constituting a sealing rib and the other rib extending circumferentially of said body in axially spacedapart relation to the first rib, the space between said ribs having venting communication with one of said ends for preventing suction as a result of distortion of said ribs against the container.

12. A sealing member for a container mouth closure, said sealing member comprising an annular generally cylindrical body having inner and 8. A closure for the mouth of a container, said closure comprising an annular body of resilient material having an axial bore extending therein from an end thereof providing inner and outer surfaces, said body having a circumferential sealing portion and locking elements of said material spaced axially from said portion on one of said surfaces, the spaces between said portion and said elements having venting passage through the region of said elements, 'a backing element in said bore, and means/for compressing said body axially between said mouth and said backing element to press said sealing portion and said locking elements in the radial direction.

9. A closure for the mouth of a container, said closure comprising a body of resilient material having a circumferentially continuous sealing portion and a circumferentially discontinuous locking portion adjacent said sealing portion with a space between said portions, said space having venting communication with an end face of said body for preventing suction as a result of radial outer peripheral faces between end faces thereof. said body having a pair of ribs on the outer peripheral face positionable in the container mouth and distortable against the container, one of said ribs extending entirely and continuously around said body and constituting a sealing rib and the other rib extending peripherally of said body in axially spaced-apart relation to the first rib, the space between said ribs on said outer peripheral face venting communication with another of said faces of the body for preventing suction as a result of distortion of said ribs against the container.

13. .A sealing member for a container mouth closure, said sealing member comprising a generally cylindrical body of resilient material having an axial passage therethrough from end to end thereof for accommodation of a manipulating member, and a circumferentially-extending external surface between said ends positionable in the container mouth, said body having a circumferentially continuous sealing rib and a circumfer` entially discontinuous locking rib adjacent one another on said external surface with a circumferential space between said ribs, said space having venting communication with one of the ends of the body for preventing suction as a result of radial distortion of said ribs when said body is pressed radially against the container, and

said locking rib being axially inclined for I esisting movement in the direction'toward'the open-end of the container mouth'by a p'aWl-like action. y l Y HOWARD H. ARMSTRONG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ile'of this patent:

UNITED' STATES PATENTS Number- 1,868,668 2,096,358 5 2,'196,7 85 2,265,6 15

l0 Number Great Britain A. D. 1907 

